Container

ABSTRACT

A container for housing granulated products is disclosed. The container has a box portion having a recessed base, a front wall, a back wall, and opposing side walls, a closure adapted to be releasably sealed on the box portion, and a circumferential channel in the box base. The channel is adapted to receive a scoop bucket so that the contents of the container can be easily removed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of containerconstructions in general, and more particularly to a combinationcontainer and scoop.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] As can be seen by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,514,379,1,768,771 2,738,900, 2,978,142, 4,844,263, 5,699,925, 5,706,974, andD416,438, the prior art is replete with various container constructions,including those that facilitate stacking or that house utensils, such asscoops.

[0003] While various prior art constructions of containers with scoopsare known, the prior art fails to disclose a container that (1) allows auser to easily scoop the entire contents of the container, (2) providesadequate structure to easily stack the containers, and (3) keeps thecontent scooping means from becoming buried under the containercontents.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide an improvedcontainer. This and other objects may be achieved by a containercomprising a box portion having a recessed base, a front wall, a backwall, and opposing side walls, a closure adapted to be releasably sealedon the box portion, and a circumferential channel defined by the boxportion walls and recessed base with the channel being adapted toreceive a scoop so that the contents of the container can be removed.The box portion also has a heel intermediate the bottom wall and thefront, rear, and side walls upon which it rests when sitting upright.

[0005] The scoop has a handle coupled to a cylindrical cup. The radiusof the cylindrical cup is substantially equal to the radius of thecontainer channel so that the cup can be received by the channel andallow scooping of the container contents.

[0006] The closure comprises front, back and side walls, a top wallcoupled to the front, back, and side walls, and an upwardly extendingprotrusion shaped and sized to be received by the recessed base of another like container. A plurality of flexible downwardly extending tabslocated on the underside of the upward extending protrusion are adaptedto releasably receive and hold the scoop. The closure further contains arecessed circumferential portion on an inner surface of the closurewalls and proximate an edge of the closure walls. The recessed portioncontains a plurality of inwardly projecting locking tabs locatedproximate the edge of the closure walls. These tabs are adapted toreceive a locking flange formed on the box portion walls.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention,including the best mode thereof directed to one of ordinary skill in theart, is set forth in the specification, which refers to the appendedFigures, in which:

[0008]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container embodying the designof the present invention;

[0009]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectioned perspective view along line 2-2 of thecontainer shown in FIG. 1, and illustrating a scoop fit in acircumferential channel in the base of the container;

[0010]FIG. 3 is a front cross-sectional view along line 3-3 of thecontainer shown in FIG. 1 and having its scoop mounted on the closurewith the container shown in stacked fashion with multiple othercontainers;

[0011]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the container closure illustratedin FIG. 1, from underside of the closure and illustrating the scoopretaining mechanism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the presentdiscussion is a description of exemplary embodiments only, and is notintended as limiting the broader aspects of the present invention, whichbroader aspects are embodied in the exemplary construction. A repeat useof reference characters in the present specification and drawingsrepresents the same or analogous features or elements of the invention.

[0013] With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1,an embodiment of the new and improved container generally designated bythe reference numeral 10 will be described. The container 10 may be usedfor packaging granulated dry goods. The container is generally formedfrom two parts. The first part is a box portion 20 containing a recessedbottom wall. The second part is a closure 40 containing a tool holdingmechanism and a stacking member protruding from the top wall. Boxportion 20 is adapted for the removable receipt of closure 40. Boxportion 20 and closure 40 may be molded of a suitable plastic material,which may be blow molded, by extrusion or injection, so that each may bea unitary member of uniform wall thickness. Non-uniform thicknesses mayalso be used. Suitable plastics for forming the container may include,but are not limited to, various polymers such as polystyrene,polystyrene-acrylonitile, acrylonitile-butadiene-styrene,styrene-maleicanhydride, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate,polyvinylcyclohexane, and blends thereof.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, box portion 20 is formed from a bottomwall 21, front wall 22, back wall 23, and opposing side walls 24 and 25(shown in FIG. 3). The front and back walls are connected to the sidewails by rounded corners 26. The front, back, and side walls areintegrally formed with the bottom wall and are connected to the bottomwall by a rounded edge 27. The rounded edge extends inwardly towardrecessed bottom wall 21 and forms a circumferential heel 28 on which thecontainer rests when standing upright. The bottom wall defines a recess30 that opens downwardly and connects to heel 28. The recess defined bythe bottom wall shown as being generally rectangular in shape, but itmay take on other shapes, such as square, oval, etc.

[0015] The inside surface 31 of the rectangular bottom wall projectsupward from heel 28 and together with the heel, front, back, and sidewalls define a circumferential channel 32 around bottom wall 21. Asshown in FIG. 2, channel 32 has a circular cross-section with a base 33having a radius R (FIG. 3). Radius R is substantially equal to or lessthan the radius R′ (FIG. 2) of a dispensing utensil 60 packaged incontainer 10. It should be understood that the cross-section of channel32 may be formed in other shapes, for example square, rectangular, oval,etc.

[0016] The front, back, and side walls also contain an inwardly recessedcircumferential portion 35 on their outer surface that is proximate atop edge 36. The inwardly recessed portion connects to the outer surfaceof the wall by an inwardly sloping shoulder 37. Shoulder 37 forms aclosure stop that receives a lower lip 53 of the closure walls. Therecessed portion contains an outwardly projecting circumferential flange38 that forms part of a locking mechanism for securing the closure tothe box portion.

[0017] Referring to the figures, and in particular FIGS. 1 and 4, theclosure comprises a horizontal top wall 41 joined to a vertical frontwall 42, back wall 43, and opposing side walls 44 and 45 by a roundedshoulder 46. Rounded corners 47 join the front, back, and side walls. Insome embodiments, ribs 48 may be coupled to the underside of front 42,back 43, side walls 44 and 45, and horizontal top wall 41 to providestructural stability to the closure. Ribs 48 also prevent flexing ofclosure 40, especially when multiple filled containers are stacked oneupon the other as shown in FIG. 3. A generally rectangular upwardlyprojecting portion 49 terminating in a horizontally flat top surface 50is centrally located in the horizontal top wall. The horizontal flat topsurface is sized and shaped to fit into another box portion's recessedbottom wall so that multiple containers can be stacked (FIG. 3). Theupwardly projecting rectangular portion defines a recess 51 in the underside of closure 40. Closure 40 may also be formed without recess 51. Itshould be understood to one of ordinary skill in the art that upwardlyprojecting portion 49 may be formed in any shape so long as the matingcontainer's recessed box portion is sized and shaped to receive theprojecting portion.

[0018] An outwardly sloping shoulder 52, formed circumferentially on theinside surface of the front, back and side walls of closure 40, definesa recessed groove 54 located proximate to lower lip 53 of the walls(FIG. 4). Outward sloping shoulder 52 defines a box portion stop andreceives upper lip 36 of the box portion walls. Groove 54 may or may nothave both an upper and lower shoulder—groove 54 may be formed as shownin FIG. 4 without a lower shoulder thereby terminating at lip 53, or itmay terminate at an inwardly sloping shoulder (not shown) forming acircumferential groove. Closure 40 is releasably secured to box portion20 by intermittent inwardly pointing ridges 55 located on closure recessgroup 54 proximate lip 53. The ridges are wedge-shaped with the widepart of the wedge closest to shoulder 52. Thus, the wedge forms alocking member that snaps over the outwardly projecting circumferentialflange 38 so that closure 40 can be easily removed from and resealed onbox portion 20. Finger tabs 56 aid the user in removing closure 40 frombox portion 20.

[0019] A releasable seal (not shown) may be attached to lip 36 to sealthe contents in the container. The releasable seal also allows forvacuum packaging of the contents in container 10 and provides ananti-tamper inner liner. One skilled in the art of food packaging willbe familiar with such releasably attached packaging seals. Specifically,adhesive or heat may be used to attach a seal formed of polyvinylchloride, polystyrene, foil, or other suitable material to lip 36 toform an airtight seal. Therefore, removal of closure 40 will not disturbthe seal unless the releasable seal is cut or removed.

[0020] Dispensing utensil 60 may be a scoop molded from a suitableplastic material, which may be blow molded, by extrusion or injection.Suitable plastics for forming the scoop include, but are not limited to,various polymers such as polystyrene, polystyrene-acrylonitile,acrylonitile-butadiene-styrene, styrene-maleicanhydride, polycarbonate,polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinylcyclohexane, and blends thereof. Asshown in FIGS. 2 and 4, dispensing utensil 60 has a generally flathandle 61 attached to or integrally formed with a cylindrical bucket 62having a radius R′. A rib 63 may be utilized and connected to theunderside of the handle and the cylindrical bucket provides structuralstability to the scoop. The cylindrical bucket is closed at one end 64and opened at a second end 65. Bucket 62 may also be formed in manyother shapes, for example square, rectangular, oval, etc.

[0021] Multiple flexible tabs 57 arranged to releasably securedispensing utensil 60 to the underside of the closure centrally locatedon the bottom side 51 of the upwardly projecting rectangular portion 48.A set of three tabs 57 are arranged to secure the handle portion 61 ofdispensing utensil 60 and a set of two tabs 57 are arranged to securethe bucket 62. Each tab may contain a protrusion 58 that assists insecuring dispensing utensil 60 to the closure when the closure issecured to the box portion. Moreover, a rib 59 may be used to strengthenthe ribs and two generally triangular ribs 66 may be used to support thebucket 62. Consequently, dispensing utensil 60 does not become buried inthe granulated material and thereby eliminates the need for the user todig through the contents in search of the scoop. This is especiallyimportant when the container's contents are for human consumption andcontact with the hands is undesirable.

[0022] In addition to allowing containers to be stacked, recessed bottomwall 21 serves a second purpose. As previously pointed out, the recessedbottom wall forms circumferential channel 32 at the bottom of the boxportion. The channel is sized and shaped to receive cylindrical bucket62 of dispensing utensil 60. In particular, the radius R′ of cylindricalbucket 62 is approximately equal to or smaller than the radius ofcurvature R of the inside surface 33 of circumferential channel 32.Recess 30 causes the granulated contents to gravitate into the channelas the product is being used up. Therefore, the bucket fits into thechannel and allows the user to scoop out substantially all thegranulated contents in the container with little effort (such achannel/bucket arrangement would also allow the container to be utilizedfor liquid containment and dispensing if desired.). No matter what shapechannel 32 is, bucket 62 should be sized and shaped to be received inchannel 32. For example, a square-shaped channel would require a bucketthat would fit in the channel. In particular, the scoop bucket should beshaped to facilitate scooping the contents of the container out ofchannel 32 and is most often the same shape as the channel.

[0023] These and other modifications and variations to the presentinvention may be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art,without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention,which is more particularly set forth in the appended claims. Inaddition, it should be understood that aspects of the variousembodiments may be interchanged both in whole or in part. Furthermore,those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the foregoingdescription is by way of example only, and is not intended to limit theinvention so further described in such appended claims. Therefore, thespirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to thedescription of the preferred versions contained therein.

What we claim is:
 1. A container comprising: a. a box portion having arecessed base, a front wall, a back wall, and side walls; b. a closureadapted to be releasably sealed on said box portion; and c. acircumferential channel defined by said box portion walls and saidrecessed base, said channel being adapted to receive the bucket of ascoop so that the bucket fits within said channel.
 2. The container inclaim 1, further comprising a scoop.
 3. The container in claim 2, saidscoop having a handle coupled to a bucket.
 4. The container in claim 3,wherein the radius of said bucket is substantially equal to the radiusof said channel.
 5. The container in claim 4, said box portion furthercomprising a heel intermediate said bottom wall and said front, rear,and side walls.
 6. The container in claim 1, said closure furthercomprising: a. a front, a back and side walls; b. a top wall coupled tosaid front, back, and side walls; and c. an upwardly extendingprotrusion shaped and sized to be received by the recessed base ofanother container.
 7. The container in claim 6, said closure furthercomprising a plurality of downwardly extending flexible tabs located onthe underside of said upwardly extending protrusion, said tabs adaptedto releasably receive a scoop.
 8. The container in claim 7, furthercomprising a scoop having a handle and a bucket that are engaged by saidflexible tabs.
 9. The container in claim 6, said closure furthercomprising: a. a recessed circumferential portion formed on an innersurface of said closure walls proximate an edge of said closure walls;and b. a plurality of inwardly projecting locking tabs located on saidinner surface recessed circumferential portion.
 10. The container inclaim 9, said box portion further comprising: a. a recessedcircumferential portion on an outer surface of said box portion wallsproximate an edge of said box portion walls; and b. a circumferentialflange located on said outer surface recessed circumferential portion,wherein said inwardly projecting locking tabs engage said flange forreleasably securing said closure to said box portion.
 11. A containerclosure, said closure comprising: a. a front wall, a back wall, and sidewalls; b. a top wall defining an upwardly projecting member, whereinsaid top wall is attached to said front, back and side walls; c. adispensing utensil; and d. at least four flexible tabs that engage saidutensil to secure said utensil to the underside of said top wall. 12.The container closure in claim 11, wherein said utensil is a scoopcomprising a handle and a bucket.
 13. The container closure in claim 12,wherein at least two flexible tabs engage said handle and at least twoflexible tabs engage said bucket.
 14. The container closure in claim 11,said closure further comprising: a. a recessed circumferential groove onan inner surface of said closure walls proximate an edge of said closurewalls; and b. an inwardly projecting flange located on said innersurface recessed circumferential groove.
 15. The container closure inclaim 11, said closure further comprising a plurality of vertical ribsformed on the underside of said closure.
 16. The container closure inclaim 14, wherein said inwardly projecting flange is a plurality ofinwardly projecting locking tabs.
 17. A container comprising: a. a boxportion having a recessed base defining a circumferential heel; b. aclosure adapted to be releasably sealed on said box portion, saidclosure comprising an upwardly extending projection; c. a scoopcomprising a handle and a bucket; and d. at least four flexible tabsprotruding downwardly from the underside of said closure to releasablysecure said scoop to the underside of said closure, wherein at least twoflexible tabs engage said handle and at least two flexible tabs engagesaid bucket.
 18. The container in claim 17, wherein said heel defines acircumferential channel having a size substantially equal to or smallerthan the size of said bucket so that said channel is capable ofreceiving said bucket.
 19. The container in claim in claim 18, said boxportion further comprising a liner sealed to an upper lip of said boxportion for creating an anti-tamper seal.
 20. A container comprising: a.a closure having an upwardly extending protrusion; and b. a box portionhaving a recessed base; wherein said recessed base defines a channelhaving a size and shape substantially equal to a dispensing utensil andadapted to receive said dispensing utensil.
 21. The container in claim20, said container further including a dispensing apparatus.
 22. Thecontainer in claim 21, said dispensing apparatus further comprising: a.a handle; and b. a bucket.
 23. The container in claim 22, wherein saidbucket and said channel are shaped so that said bucket can be receivedin said channel.
 24. The container in claim 22, wherein said bucket andsaid channel are cylindrically-shaped, and the radius of said channel issubstantially equal to the radius of said bucket.